Pressure-control means



Sept. 18, 1923. 11,468J'U9 H. J. M. HOWARD PRESSURE CONTROL MEANS Filed April '22 1921 /////AIIIIM mum-m 4/ H 11H a,

56 avwawtoz I 'i J, M. How/m0 Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

' VUETEEQ srsrss t3 A f HENRYF. M. HOWARD, OF VIASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF GOLTLMBIA.

PRESSURE-CONTROL MEANS.

Applicationfiled April 22, 1921. Serial No. 463,467.

To allauizom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. M. HOWARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Washin ton. in the District of Columbia u I I have invented certain new and usetul Im provements 1n Pressure-Control Means; and

I do hereby declare the followingto be a serving the use of thestandard fire. department hose connection at the prescribed pressure, usually 80 pounds, will permit-the use of local fire hose reduced to a considerably lower pressure, say 30 pounds.

In the fire extinguisher systems now in use it is necessary to supply somemeans for reducing the pressure to one that can be handled in case of fire. Certain of the larger buildings in New York city have a standpipe pressure of over 300 pounds, but the fire department pressure is standardized in that city at 80 pounds. At the present time a reducing valve of considerable size and rather awkward construction is required.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive substitute for this complicated reducing valve, while preserving all of the advantages inherent to its use and in such substitution retaining all the certainty'of operation, but yet materially lowering the cost of the equipment and materially iin proving the sightliness of the piping.

In practically all buildings of fair size swinging hose racks are pivoted upon the vertical nipple extending directly'downr-ward from the usual two and one-half inch angle valve, and it is strongly desired that thereducing or control elements shall not alter this nipple either in size or location owing to the enormous number of these Howard racks now in use, single buildings being equipped with as high as 230 of these swinging hose racks. V

In the present invention an annular disk or control element is securedcto the nipple on whic'h'is swung the hose rack, this disk having an orifice ofsuch size as to bring the pressure down to the required 80 pounds. By providing a series of such disks, say twelve in number, it is possible to reduce standpipe pressure in a building from a maximum of say 200 pounds to 80 pounds on each floor by using the different sized disks beginning with those of small orifice on the lower floors and gradually increasing the size of the hole. in the disk until 'on the 'upper stories no disk would be required.

In this way the pressure on each fioor may be kept within a reasonable degree of accuracy to the standard set by the fire department. 7 ,7 Inthe drawings,-- 7

Figure 1 is a view of my device as it is usually installed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the rack supporting nipple and local reducing coupling.

Figure 3 15 a central sectional view through the two disks.

I The angle valve 10 is directlyconnected to the fire extinguisher system and is provided with the usual hex 11 into which is screwed the rack supporting nipple. In addition to the threads 15 at its upper end the nipple is provided with threads 16 at its lower extremity which threads correspond to the fire department standards.

Just above the threaded portions 16 of the nipple the latter is provided with an integral nut 17 by means of which the nipple is screwed into place in the angle valve. The bore of the nipple is unrestricted and is of standard size but the nipple is interiorly threaded as at 18 to receive the control element 19 which is an annular threaded disk or solid brass and is one of a series of such disks, all having the same outside diameter, but'varying in diameter of the central orifice 20.

The appropriate disk, depending upon the standpipe pressureon the floor where the angle valve is located, is screwed into the nipple and remains in place unless for some reason the standpipe pressure itself is altered, which is unusual. In a case of this kind, however, it is a simple matter to unscrew the non-corrodible brass disk and replace it with another of the same type but with n orifice such as to give the standard fire department 80 pound pressure with the altered stand .pipe pressure on the floor. By means of this disk,- the outlet pressure at the bottom of the rack supporting nipple is always of correct strength for fire department needs.

'Th'e fire department pressure is entirely too strong for local service as it is not possible for unskilled men, even though of great strength, to successfullyhandle a noz- V zle carrying as much as 80 pounds pressure.

The employees of the building, however, can readily handle a hose carrying thirty, and even more, pounds of pressure up to a maximum of about fifty pounds pressure. This pressure cannot be obtained by any regula tion' in the nozzle itself, since by the laws of most large cities, cut-otl nozzles are prohibited, nor is it safe to rely upon valve control and this is not permitted by the fire underwriters although it would not be ob jected to by the fire department provided that the pressure when the valve is. on full 24 having the usual outward extending cir-' 'oular lugs 25 and being threaded in its in- Y The disk 37 is one of a series of disks quite .16 of the nipple.

terior bore to receive the external'threads 't its lower end the swivel member carries an inwardly extending flange 26 riding in a groove 27 in the supporting member 23 and held in place by an outward directed flange 28 at the upper end of the latter, this swivel being of the usual construction.

The central orifice of the reducing coupling is of such diameter at its narrowest portion as at 30 to receive the expansion ring (not shown) which wedges the hose 31 firmly against the corrugated surface 34 of the wall 35. The lower member of the reducing coupling is counterbored as'at 36 toa diameter slightly in excess of the bore of the nipple and of such depth as to receive snugly a perforated disk 37 which forms the control member of the local hose line.

similar in size and use with the disks 19, and like them is provided with a cylindrical central orifice 38, the latter being of such size as to cut the pressure in the local hoseline to suchfigures ashas been predetermined as the standard local pressure and which should not exceed fifty pounds. The disk 37 is preferably smooth on its outer edge for ease in inserting it in the reducing coupling as there is no need of having this screw into place as does the disk 19, since the rubber gasketLO which fits in an annu-' lar recess 41 inthe swivel ring firmly secures this disk in place, the inner. diameter of the asket 40 being less than the outer diameter of the disk 37.

the nozzle 42. at the end of the rack/ The hose 31 is at all'times firmly secured to the annular wall 35 of the reducing coupling and the latter is in firm, but readily detachable, engagement with the nipple. In case of fire, the valve 10 is opened and the nozzleand hose are pulled from the rack. fSinoe thereis no cut-oil in the nozzle the pressure in this pipe can never exceed the pre-deter mined local pressure of thirty ponnds or whatever has been set as a standard. l/Vhen the members of thefire department arrive it is merely necessary-for them to remove the local hose line and to place. their own standard two and. onehalfinch hose line. on the I threaded portion. 16. The pressure whichinthe local inch and a half hose was held at, say, thirty pounds, is'now at the standard fire departmentrpressure of 80 pounds, sincejin uncoupling thelocalliose J line the disk-37 was removed leaving the disk 19 operating 'alonep What I 'claimis: 1. In a fire extinguisher system, a main water line, a plurality of valves secured to said line at diiferent elevations, a pipe extending from each valve for attaching a local hose line, and means within'each' of said pipes for reducing the standpipe pressure behind each valve to a predetermined fire pressure.

2. In afire extinguisher system, a main water line, a plurality of valves secured to said line at different elevations, a pipe extending from each valve for attaching a local hose line, and-a perforated disk within each of said pipes for reducing the-standpipe pressure; behind each valve to a predetermined fire pressure.

- 3. In a fire extinguisher system, a main water line, a plurality of valves secured to said line at different elevations, a pipe extending from each valve for attaching a lotachably secured to said nipple for reducing the pressure of water passing from said nipple, and a. coupling surrounding said means and adapted to connect the local fire hose with said nipple-.3

1 6. In a-fire extinguisher system, a warm cal main water line, a plurality of nipples of a single standard outer diameter each having a restrlcted opening therein, the size of said openings varying With the elevation of the nipple to give the same approximate fire pressure at each nipple, a local coupling for each nipple and a pressure reducing means, independent of said nipple, for re stricting the Water pressure in the local line below that of the fire pressure at the nipple.

T. In combination, a Water conveying member, a disk detachably secured to said member to reduce the pressure of water passing therethrough, a coupling member adapted to be secured to said water conveying member, and a disk detachably secured to said coupling to reduce the pressure of vWater passing through said coupling to a lower amount than that provided by said first mentioned disk.

HENRY J. M. HOWARD. 

